Hafnium is a silvery grey shiny metal. The element is named after Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark. It is there that the element was discovered.
Hafnium nuclei has the ability to absorb multiple neutrons; and therefore, it is used in nuclear reactors, especially nuclear powered submarines.
Dmitri Mendeleev had predicted the possible existence of hafnium. He predicted an element with similar features in his report in 1869. However, it had not been discovered until 1923 by Dirk Coster, a Dutch physicist, and Georg von Hevesy, a Hungarian radio-chemist.
Hafnium has many interesting features. It reacts with air and forms a film to protect itself. Due to this tendency of the metal, hafnium is very resistant to corrosion. A single fine particle of hafnium can spontaneously combust when it comes in contact with air.
Hafnium does not exist in nature on its own. It is usually found combined with zirconium to form minerals. Hafnium is used in the manufacture of alloys with several metals, including iron, niobium, titanium, and tantalum.
Hafnium has the atomic number 72, and it is represented as Hf.